Kayla Fay

Kayla Fay is a freelance writer and the mother of four boys, three of whom have been formally diagnosed with the inattentive type of ADHD. Kayla's life is a progression of dirty laundry, lost homework, misunderstood Algebra, and a whole lot of love and fun. Thankfully, a supportive husband, a psychology degree and many years of working with all kinds of children have helped in discovering ways of maximizing the potential of the wonderful children that bless Kayla's life and home.

Middle School Science Projects - Three Mistakes That Could Cost You a Blue Ribbon

Reference and Education: Science • Published: August 29, 2010

Middle School science projects are assigned each year to thousands of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students hoping to get a great grade and be a winner in their school science fair. And each year, many of those students will be disappointed, simply because they made these easily avoided mistakes:

Five Things Fleas Like to Bite - Is Your Pet One of Them?

Pets • Published: April 9, 2010

Fleas are parasites looking for a warm-blooded host. Is your pet one of them?

How to Teach a Child to Ask Forgiveness - Hint - It's Not Making Them Say Sorry

Home and Family: Parenting • Published: December 3, 2009

One of the hardest things for any of us to do is to say, "I'm sorry." Kids have a terrible time admitting they did wrong; for most adults, it's even harder. One skill that we need to teach our children is how to ask for forgiveness. Here's my formula.

Middle School Science Projects - Turning Non-Experiments Into the Real Thing

Reference and Education: Science • Published: November 13, 2009

Middle school science projects almost always have to be done in the form of an experiment. The trouble for most students is that most of the time, projects that are on the internet or in books are either demonstrations or models. The good news is that many times, a model can be used in an experiment, and variables can be added to a demonstration, so that it can be one, too. Here are five examples of projects that are modified to become an experiment.

The Tantrum Chairs

Home and Family: Parenting • Published: October 5, 2009

When our first son was a baby, we bought a beautiful old home with the intention of fixing it up. It was one of those charming old houses that had great potential. Built in the early 1900's, it had mantels and crown molding, French doors and high ceilings. But it needed a lot of work.

Science Projects For More Than One Child

Reference and Education: Science • Published: September 19, 2009

Science Projects for families with more than one child can be an daunting task for parents. Science fairs are generally held at about the same time, so even if kids are in different schools, their projects probably have due dates that are near each other. Get four ideas to simplify the process.

Science Projects to Do Outdoors

Reference and Education: Science • Published: August 21, 2009

Science projects aren't usually done outside, but if you stop and think, outside is the perfect place to do your next experiment. After all, most of science happens outdoors - meteorology, geology, ecology, biology, botany. Outdoor science projects allow you to make a mess, have a larger work area, and observe some natural phenomena.

Science Projects For Summer Fun

Reference and Education: Science • Published: August 21, 2009

Science projects aren't usually thought of as a summer activity, but think again. Summer is a terrific time to let your kids have a great time exploring the fascinating world of science. Here are four great reasons to add some science fun to lazy summer days.

Great Examples of Science Fair Projects

Reference and Education: Science • Published: June 3, 2009

Are you searching for examples of science fair projects to help you get started with this year's science fair? Here are some projects to help you as you prepare. There are five types of science projects, and we've included one of each.

Science Projects in Elementary School

Reference and Education: Science • Published: May 29, 2009

Science Projects. Elementary School almost always requires students to do at least one science project before they finish the fifth grade. Elementary science projects are easy to find, but finding the right project for your child can be a challenge. Here are five hints to help you find the best project for your grade school child.

Middle School Science Fair Projects - Five Steps to an Outstanding Project

Reference and Education: Science • Published: May 29, 2009

Middle school science fair projects. Most students in middle school are required to submit a science project to the science fair. For kids who have been used to the more lenient standards of elementary school, the more complicated guidelines can be a shock. Here's a guide to helping middle schoolers to have success as they head to the fair.

Winning Science Projects For First Place Kids

Reference and Education: Science • Published: May 15, 2009

Having a winning science project isn't the reason teachers send kids to the science fair, but many kids, having a winning project is their goal. Here are four ways to improve your chances of grabbing one of those first place ribbons.

Earth Science Projects - Five Down-to-Earth Ideas

Reference and Education: Science • Published: May 1, 2009

Earth science projects are an amazing way for kids to become interested in science as well as the earth around them. There are a lot of "earth sciences", giving kids lots of cool possibilities for experiments and demonstrations. We have five down to earth ideas for your project.

Chemical Change Science Projects - Cool Chemistry That a Student Can Do

Reference and Education: Science • Published: April 9, 2009

Chemistry science projects involving a chemical change are often chosen by middle and high school students. Many kids like to do an experiment with a dramatic chemical change. When searching for a project, it can be difficult to find an experiment with chemicals that are easy to find, and easy to work with.

The Scientific Method - Methodically Explained

Reference and Education: Science • Published: April 2, 2009

The scientific method is a way to ask and find the answer to scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments. Depending on which science book you read, there are either four, five or six steps to the scientific method.

Kids Science Project Boards That Aren't Boring

Reference and Education: Science • Published: March 30, 2009

Kids' science projects aren't finished until the last letter is glued onto the science board. After the science project is finished, you want it to look its very best for the science fair! You really want the project to reflect how hard your kids have worked.

Science Fair Projects to Make Everybody Happy

Reference and Education: Science • Published: March 26, 2009

Science fair projects - Kids think they should be fun. Teachers think they should be educational. Parents just want them to be fast and easy. Since students, teacher and parents are all involved in the process of getting ready for the science fair, most of the time, science projects have to be all of the above!

Multiplying Success - Preparing Your Child For a Standardized Test in Math

Reference and Education: Standardized Tests • Published: March 18, 2009

Whatever your opinion about the necessity and validity of testing, you cannot change the fact that your child will soon be handed a bubble sheet and asked to remember material from an entire year. This article lists several ways to help prepare for the math portion of standardized tests.

Comprehending Comprehension - Standardized Test Taking Strategies For Reading

Home and Family: Parenting • Published: March 13, 2009

Whatever your opinion about the necessity and validity of testing, you cannot change the fact that your child will soon be handed a bubble sheet and asked to remember material from an entire year. This article lists several ways to help prepare for the reading portion of standardized tests.

A Chart For Everything

Home and Family: Parenting • Published: March 6, 2009

I used to spend all of my seasons nagging. We had no time of silence and no time of peace. The constant sound of my voice annoyed ME, and I know it annoyed my kids. Multiply four kids, eight daily responsibilities, about three reminders per task, and I was averaging close to 100 nags per day. Since we posted the chart, I only have to ask, "Is your chart done?" Even on bad days, nagging is only a fraction of what it was before.

Printable Weekly Planner Sheets That Are Fit to Print

Home and Family: Parenting • Published: February 5, 2009

Printable weekly planner sheets are an economical and flexible way for your child to keep homework assignments organized. You might like them so well that you decide to make some for yourself!

Fabulous and Fun Science Projects

Reference and Education • Published: January 16, 2009

Fun science projects are a great way to whet a child's appetite to learn more about science. They're also a way to help parents and teachers make science fair time more enjoyable. Here are five fabulously fun science projects!

Putting ADHD on a Diet

Health and Fitness: Mental Health • Published: January 15, 2009

Treating ADHD with diet is popular approach to dealing with the symptoms of ADHD in children and adults. If you have an ADHD child, someone, somewhere has probably told you that an ADHD diet is a surefire way to cure it. Special diets for ADHD and ADD have sprung up all over the internet. Here's an overview of what is available.

Eight Great Human Behavior Science Projects

Reference and Education: Science • Published: January 7, 2009

Human Behavior Science Projects explore the fascinating ways that human beings behave. Behavioral projects are a popular choice for kids headed to the science fair. While gathering enough test subjects can be tricky, these projects can be a great way for students to learn about testing, meet interesting people, and have fun. There are so many things to discover, that the hardest part may be simply choosing a topic. Here's a list of ideas to get you started.

Behavioral Science Projects - Seeing How Humans Behave